Childhood Trauma In Adults

Childhood trauma has lasting effects on our health as adults. Kaiser Permanente conducted the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences Study) from 1995 to 1997 on 17,000 of its HMO members. Researchers defined trauma as any type of emotional abuse, a mother treated violently, substance abuse in the household, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, a criminal household member, or childhood neglect. Participants received a score based on how many of these experiences they endorsed. Long story short: the greater the number of traumatic experiences, and the higher the duration and frequency, the worse the person’s health and well-being outcomes were across their lifetime.

How Childhood Trauma Affects the Developing Brain

One important implication of this study involves how children’s developing brains respond to traumatic events. Children who experience trauma become more prone to something called an amygdala hijack. An amygdala hijack is an immediate and overwhelming emotional response that is out of proportion to what is actually happening. The amygdala learns from past experiences. It becomes hypersensitive to certain threats and starts responding in a self-protective capacity, even when no real threat exists.

What This Means for Psychotherapy

These findings change the face of psychotherapy. In the past, clinicians viewed trauma as something that resulted from extreme cases of combat, disaster, or catastrophic situations. This study expands that definition. It includes instances that most adults experienced during childhood, to varying degrees. Trauma has moved well beyond the traditional definition of PTSD.

Childhood Trauma in Adults: What Treatment Looks Like

Think about these findings alongside the increasingly stressful lifestyle most people live today. It makes sense that more people are experiencing anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other serious symptoms than ever before. Treatment is not simple. Each person carries different experiences and sees their symptoms through a different lens. The role of psychotherapy is to build a relationship between therapist and client. That relationship allows the therapist to understand the client’s worldview. From there, therapist and client work together as a team. They create a treatment plan that addresses the trauma directly. The plan also teaches coping skills to lower overall stress levels. When the amygdala does get hijacked, the client can recognize what is happening and take back control of their life.

Ready to talk? Contact Michelle Stephens, LPC to schedule a consultation in Alpharetta, GA.